As PR and communications specialists we are sometimes humbled and often inspired by the communications initiatives of those whom typically we’d regard as amateurs. (Perhaps this is a sign that we take ourselves too seriously.)

One such experience has been a blog titled Mike’s Big Adventure which was started in February by Tracey as a way of sharing with family and friends the journey on which husband Mike and her set out to beat his recently diagnosed aggressive form of stomach cancer. Given little hope by traditional oncology, they traveled to a clinic in San Diego for a different solution.

If you’ve ever had someone close to you very sick, you’d agree that this little blog was a wonderfully effective way of staying in touch. Narrative updates at the press of button, without the need for endlessly repetitious phone calls.

Mike and Tracey returned to Auckland around mid-March to carry on the treatment with the comfort of family and home.

While there was no cure, there were miracles – the simple ones of support and love. Almost every day, without fail, Tracey blogged on the joys and anguish of this terminal adventure. She shared a very personal perspective and her blog following grew exponentially. At times it has surely been the best-read blog in New Zealand.

What started as a journey of hope, became a mechanism for coping with the struggle and powerlessness of saying goodbye and losing the one you love most.

There was no happy ending, and at the funeral Tracey said that the only way that she could cope with speaking at the very large gathering to farewell Mike was to treat it like another blog. Later that evening there was a Blogger Party, the modern equivalent of an Irish wake.

Through her blog Tracey showed us how natural communications can be. Outside of her close family, whanau, friends and workmates (of both her and Mike), she built a community of support through a modern tool of communications.

Thanks Tracey for showing us how good and purposeful a blog can be.

PS: This blog touched thousands of people in different ways. At Network PR, it was a special experience because Tracey is the mother of a colleague, Cameron.